May 17, 2026, 12:08 p.m. ET
The unofficial opening of the American sesquicentennial on the National Mall started with a prayer at sunrise.
That was followed by a day of hallelujahs and amens and testimonials, of Christian musical performers and military bands.
The “Rededicate 250” event was slated to feature a video greeting by President Donald Trump and other speeches, in person or taped, from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth and House Speaker Mike Johnson. The government’s most powerful leaders were poised to focus on the centrality of the nation’s Christian roots from its founding −an assertion of some dispute and debate − and the need to rededicate the nation to those values.
“A historic gathering to give thanks for God’s providence, reflect on our nation’s story, and rededicate America as One Nation Under God,” the organizers, Freedom 250, declared.
This year’s celebrations for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence have underscored the history and resilience of the world’s oldest constitutional democracy. But they also have spotlighted today’s divides over issues as large as the appropriate role of religion in politics and as particular of the proper color of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
The festival, dominated by Christian voices, delighted the thousands of people who attended on a balmy Sunday, pushing strollers and carrying blankets to spread on the grassy expanse. For some other Americans, though, it failed to reflect the nation’s religious diversity, and many historians said it misrepresented the role of Christianity in the republic’s founding.
“This outrageous event makes a mockery of a core constitutional tenet of American life, the separation of church and state, essentially promoting a particularly flavor of white evangelical protestantism as state-sponsored religion,” said Robert Weissman, co-president of Public Citizen. The left-leaning watchdog group called the festival “a program for the Church of Trump.”
Plugging leaks, the liquid kind
The Reflecting Pool, sans water, was a half mile up the Mall. Workers who are repairing leaks and painting the basin a color Trump has dubbed “American Flag Blue” have drained it for now.
That project is the subject of some dispute and debate, too.
A nonprofit group called the Cultural Landscape Foundation has sued the Interior Department to halt the painting, arguing that under federal law changing the pool’s color − “a key character-defining feature of the site” − required historic review. The previous gray and achromatic hue created the illusion of greater depth and prompted more profound contemplation, the group said.
Meanwhile, costs for the refurbishment have reportedly risen, and the original May 22 deadline to finish the work no longer seems realistic. Trump has promised it will be finished by July 4, when the Mall will host the nation’s iconic fireworks display.
‘God picked America for a reason’
The all-day festival, called a “National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise & Thanks” was organized by a public-private partnership called Freedom 250 and financed in part by federal funds.
The area was fenced and visitors had to go through magnetometers to enter, but the mood in the morning was relaxed and festive.
Why did attendees make their way to the event? “I was led by the Lord,” said Sandy Brown, 63, of Raceland, Kentucky, who drove to Washington with a friend from her church, Tom Huffman, 78.
“God has blessed this country, and he still is,” Huffman, a retired police chief, said. “He picked America for a reason and he picked Trump for a reason.”
Trump may appear only on videotape, but he was a heavy presence. Baseball caps for sale near the entrance said, “Jesus is my Savior/Trump is my president.”
A lone protester in a sparkly silver jacket marched down the middle of the street with a bullhorn, shouting “Trump for prison!”
The blocks-long line of those waiting to file on the Mall tried to drown her out, chanting “Praise God!”
The event sparked controversy because it featured almost entirely Christian voices, many of them white and evangelical. There were threads of Christian nationalism, a belief that the United States has been and should be defined by Christianity.
Many American scholars dispute that, saying the founders were wary of a state religion and made the separation of church and state part of the First Amendment. They note that Thomas Jefferson, the primary drafter of the Declaration of Independence, believed in God but didn’t embrace Christian theology.
The 15 speakers listed in the program included 14 Christians and one Orthodox Jew, Rabbi Meir Soloveichik. Two of the scheduled speakers were Catholics and seven were evangelical leaders, including Franklin Graham, son of famous preacher Billy Graham.
These days, nearly two-thirds of adults in America identified as Christians, the nonpartisan Pew Research Center found in a 2024 study, while almost one in three were unaffiliated with any religion. A total of 7% were members of other religions, among them Jews and Muslims.
About one in four Americans, 23%, were white evangelical Protestants. They comprise one of the most loyal parts of Trump’s political base. In his three presidential campaigns, about eight in 10 voted for him.
Celebrating the nation or the president?
For critics who accuse Trump of undermining democratic guardrails, the sesquicentennial creates a quandary: How to celebrate the nation if you don’t want to embrace the president?
A few blocks from Sunday’s rally, a Christian group called Faithful America floated a 15-foot-tall balloon that showed a cow wearing a blue suit, red tie and shock of blond hair. The progressive organization, which opposes Christian nationalism, described the balloon as “a golden calf with a Trump-like visage.”
Trump has been undeterred, casting himself at the center of the country’s celebration.
“The golden age of America is upon us … just in time for one of the biggest events in the history of our country,” he declared during a July 4 celebration in Iowa last year. “We will celebrate the 250th anniversary of America’s founding with a birthday party the likes of which you have never seen before.”
Cue the fireworks: Their colorful explosions above the Washington Monument − what the president says will be the biggest display ever − are slated to follow in six weeks.
